With MayFest fast approaching, change up your usual beers of choice. Venture to the nearby Wegmans, which supplies high-quality craft beer. The store’s constantly rotating ‘Craft Your Own Pack Beer’ display allows shoppers to select from a slew of individual bottles to create a six-pack of their choosing. With about 50 beers to choose from, the possibilities are endless: domestic and imported, craft and macro, dark and light, seasonal and year-round, and local and national. This six-pack consists of relatively off-the-beaten-path choices from the display.

ldsacks@syr.edu

Summerfest (4.5/5)

Sierra Nevada: Chico, Calif.

Czech-style Pilsner 5.0 percent ABV / 28 IBU – Summer Seasonal

Like nearly all Sierra Nevada beers, this lighter lager still features a little hop bite on the finish. Brewed since 1992, Summerfest is much more subdued than many of the brewery’s other offerings. As the weather heats up, this lighter, easy-drinking beer is a good choice over more hoppy options. The nose is mildly grainy with a touch of pepper, and the taste is clean and refreshing. Summerfest has a malty start and mildly bitter finish, provided by the Perle and Saaz hop varieties used.

Discord Dark IPA (3.5/5)

Pyramid Breweries: Seattle; Berkeley, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Sacramento, Calif.; Walnut Creek, Calif.

India Pale Ale 6.5 percent ABV – Spring Seasonal

The first to create an Apricot Ale in 1994, Pyramid recently came back after it was acquired by North American Breweries, a Rochester-based umbrella company that owns Magic Hat Brewing Co., Genesee Beer, Dundee Ale and Lagers, and MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale. Colored a cola-like brown, Discord Dark IPA smells like roasted malts with a little chocolate. Only slightly hoppy, it contains mild citrus notes but remains surprisingly basic. Not particularly balanced, it’s heavy on the roasted malt notes and does not exemplify the signature dark style well.

Summer Weizen Ale (4/5)

Smuttynose Brewing Co.: Portsmouth, N.H.

Wheat Ale 5.5 percent ABV – Summer Seasonal

Founded in 1994, Smuttynose is named after one of the nine Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine. Its Summer Weizen Ale, available from April to August, combines domestic and continental wheat and barley malts with Belgian wit yeast. Crisp, citrusy and light, it smells like wheat with notes of honey and lemon zest. The taste starts tart and finishes with citrus notes and a slight bitter bite, making this a unique approach to many summer wheat ales.

Biere de Mars (3.5/5)

Southampton Publick House: Southampton, N.Y.

Biere de Garde 6.5 percent ABV – Spring Seasonal

Biere de Mars means ‘March Beer.’ The nose combines elements of caramel and grainy cereal malts with grassy and peppery notes, typical of many farmhouse ales. There is even a faint smell of dark fruit or honey as well. The taste is caramel-heavy with notes of citrusy hops, and the finish has a slight alcohol warmth. There are also mild hints of pepper and spices, but not nearly as much as other farmhouse ales.

Kidd Lager (4/5)

The Fort Collins Brewery: Fort Collins, Colo.

Schwarzbier 4.5 percent ABV – Year-round

Kidd Lager is a black lager, but unlike other dark beers such as stouts, Schwarzbiers are sweeter because of darkly roasted malts. The beer pours solid black and smells strongly of chocolate, coffee and smoked malt. It features a slightly smoky flavor aided by bittersweet chocolate and black coffee. This relatively light drink is not too sweet, as it is offset by some hop bitterness on the finish.

Humming Ale (Rating: 4.5/5)

Anchor Brewing Co.: San Francisco

Pale Ale 5.9 percent ABV – Seasonal

Humming is a term used to describe highly carbonated ales. Available from July to November, Humming Ale was first bottled in 2010 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Anchor Steam’s newest location. A New Zealand hop called Nelson Sauvin gives this beer its unique flavor. The nose starts with citrus notes and finishes with a light pine essence. Despite its medium carbonation, Humming Ale is full-bodied and well-balanced with coriander and honey notes.

Published on April 23, 2012 at 12:00 pm